Chinese warships cross waters near Japan island

In this photo released by Japan's Joint Staff Office, a Chinese frigate sails in waters off the island of Yonaguni in Japan's Okinawa prefecture on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012. Japanese aircraft spotted seven Chinese warships in waters off the southern Japan island and about 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the uninhabited isles at the center of a territorial dispute between the two countries.

TOKYO — Japanese military officials said they closely watching seven Chinese warships spotted in waters off a southern island Tuesday. It was unclear whether the ship movements were related to a territorial dispute that has prompted both countries to show off their maritime muscles.

The Chinese ships were sighted about 49 kilometers (30 miles) from the island of Yonaguni, in Japan's Okinawa prefecture (state), according to Japan's Defense Ministry. They were about 200 kilometers (125 miles) from a chain of small islands that have sparked a heated dispute between Japan and China.

The ships were believed to be returning to China after training in the Pacific.

Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto said Japan is monitoring the ships' movement. Japan considers the area part of its contiguous waters, but it is not illegal for foreign vessels to transit them.

It is not unusual for the Chinese navy to transit waters around Okinawa en route to the Pacific, but this is the first such operation observed this year, according to public broadcaster NHK. The ships included frigates, a guided missile destroyer, a refueler and two submarine rescue vessels.

It was unclear if their mission was directly related to the territorial issue, or whether they were trying to avoid an approaching typhoon.

China's Defense Ministry said the ships were on a scheduled cruising exercise and were acting in a manner that was "appropriate and legal."

Underscoring China's sharper stance, it also protested the scrambling of a Japanese military plane in the direction of the disputed islands, calling that a "gross violation" of Chinese sovereign rights.

"The Chinese military is closely following the actions of the Japanese side and demands Japan halt all actions complicating or escalating the situation," the ministry said in a short statement on its website.

Japan angered China last month by nationalizing part of the chain of uninhabited East China Sea islands called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese. The move sparked violent protests in China.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said Tokyo has urged Beijing to "avoid any actions that would go counter to the mutual benefit."

Nearby Taiwan also claims the islands, which are uninhabited but surrounded by rich fishing grounds and possibly lucrative undersea energy deposits.

China and Japan have recently stepped up naval activities in the area around Okinawa because of the dispute, but there have been no clashes between their warships, which have generally stayed away from the islands themselves.

Wary of missteps that could lead to a sudden escalation of tensions, the countries have instead sent less threatening coast guard ships. Over the past week, however, both have made a point of showing off their naval prowess.

Chinese websites were abuzz Monday with photographs of navy pilots practicing touch-and-go landing exercises on China's first aircraft carrier. It wasn't clear when the pictures were taken, and they did not appear on the Defense Ministry's website or in official media.

The carrier was launched last month without aircraft or an accompanying battle group, and actual flight operations could be years away. But it is widely seen as a symbol of China's ambitions to be a leading Asian naval power, especially as it faces sharpening territorial conflicts with Japan and other countries.

Japan's navy, meanwhile, marked its 60th anniversary with a major exercise on Sunday. Japan also plans to hold a joint exercise with the U.S. military later this year, reportedly using a scenario of taking a remote island back from a foreign intruder.

Asked how China sees the reported scenario, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said, "To maintain the peace and stability of Asia-Pacific is beneficial to all sides." He added: "Increasing tension is against the bigger trends of regional security, peace and the buildup of political and security trust. We reserve the right to take further action."

Defense Minister Morimoto declined to confirm the scenario or give other details.

In Sunday's exercise, about 40 ships — including state-of-the-art destroyers, hovercraft able to launch assaults on rough coastlines and new conventionally powered submarines — took part in Fleet Review 2012, the maritime equivalent of a military parade.

About 30 naval aircraft, mostly helicopters, also participated. For the first time, Japan's navy was joined by warships from the United States, Singapore and Australia. Representatives from more than 20 countries, including China, attended the event staged in waters south of Tokyo.

Associated Press writers Ian Mader in Beijing and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.